The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Thursday filed a writ petition in the Calcutta High Court against the prohibitory order issued by the West Bengal government restricting VHP international working president Praveen Togadia’s entry into the state.

Meanwhile, the Raiganj district court in south Dinajpur put an interim stay on promulgation of Section 144 of the CrPC imposed by the district administration on Wednesday while withdrawing permission for the public meeting of Togadia scheduled to take place there on April 5.

VHP district vice-president Tejendra Narayan Bose had moved the district court of seeking a stay on the promulgation of Section 144 CrPC for the meeting. The West Bengal government had banned Togadia’s entry in the state fearing “communal tension and disruption in public tranquility”.

Togadia is scheduled to reach Kolkata on Saturday for his two-day visit to the state. He will address a worker’s meeting on April 4 in the city, and a public meeting in south Dinajpur on April 5.

Even though the party’s Bengal unit claimed that the scheduled programme had not been changed after the prohibitory order was issued, Togadia told The Indian Express, “We are yet to decide on the programmes.”

Meanwhile, VHP workers agitated in front of various district administration offices and submitted a deputation to Governor Kesari Nath Tripathi through the respective DMs, said Bengal chief of the organisation, Sachindra Singh.

Commenting on the issue, TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said, “Bengal has a long culture and history of secularism and equality of all religions. That cannot be compromised.”

Left Front Chairman Biman Bose, too, supported the decision of the West Bengal government on this issue. “Where ever Togadia had gone, he instigated communal tension. They have started converting people in the state too.”